Spray a 9×13″ extra deep baking dish and place 1/2 to 2/3 of the bread cubes in the dish.

Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl, add cream, milk, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Reserve 1 to 1.5 cups of mixture and pour remaining over the bread cubes.

Spread green chiles on top of bread. Sprinkle with 2 cups of shredded cheese. Lightly press the bread down to aid in absorption of the egg mixture. Top with cream cheese, sausage and bacon, if desired.

Top with remaining bread and pour reserved egg mixture over the bread. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper, if desired.

The next morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake on middle rack for 45-55 minutes or until the center is firm. Cover the bread pudding with foil about halfway through the cooking time and remove for the last 5 minutes or so.

Like this:

During the holidays there are so many parties and potlucks and it’s fun to make something that people remember. Charlene, an AT&T co-worker, shared this recipe several years ago after she brought this to one of our office potlucks.

The first time I made it, I had the snowman standing upright. Big mistake, no one wanted to dip into it and have Mr. Snowman tumble. Give Mr. Snowman a rest on a platter and surround him with crackers. He’ll be a big hit!

Like this:

Crock pot meals are the best…easy with so many options. I love the Salsa chicken recipe that daughter, Megan, shared with me a while ago. This recipe sounded very similar but with the addition of cream cheese. YUM!

I used almost 2 pounds of chicken strips vs. the 2 chicken breasts called for. It was delicious but in the future I would use about 1 pound of chicken for this recipe. Great over rice, in a burrito, over a baked potato…or invent your own combination!

Put the chicken in the crock pot.Top with the tomatoes, corn, the drained and rinsed beans, ranch dressing, cumin, onion and chile powders, stir to combine then top with the cream cheese. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring one or twice to blend in the cheese. Shred the chicken into large pieces and serve over rice. Can also serve in tortillas or taco shells.

Now that I’m MUCH older, I’m feeling a little lazy around the postings so taking it easy for a week or two and celebrating the rest of my birthday month.

Even though I’m feeling lazy, sometimes you want a wonderful appetizer but don’t feel like putting a lot of time into it. Are you with me?

Many years ago a popular appetizer was a brick of cream cheese with jalapeno jelly and it is still a favorite but I like to shake it up a little. I purchased a fantastic jar of Shirley Ann’s Raspberry Chipolte Jalapeno Jam a while back and paired it with slices of Buffalo Mozzarella with crackers and sliced baguette. Yummo! It would be equally wonderful with a fine Brie.

Some days that seem dark and depressing can be brightened by the gift of food…particularly my favorite antidepressant, chocolate. Daughter, Sarah, was at the house and decided to try out this new recipe she found on Pinterest/Pinch of Yum.

Baked Peanut Butter Chocolate Chips Cheesecake Bars

I can attest it is a big Yum! I’m not a fan of cheesecake but a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies. This reminds me of chocolate chips cookies on steroids.

Make the cookie dough: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream the butter, sugars, and peanut butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture in with the butter and sugar, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

Make the cheesecake filling: Cream the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Press half to two-thirds of the cookie dough in the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Pour the cheesecake filling over the dough. Crumble the remaining dough and sprinkle over the top, OR roll it into a flat layer and place it over the cheesecake layer.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes; remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until tops is lightly browned and cheesecake layer is set. Serve warm or cold and store leftover bars in refrigerator.